HAVING dropped out of finals after consecutive top-eight seasons, Carlton underwent a forwardline facelift during trade period. The loss of champion goalkicker Charlie Curnow has opened up new opportunities at the draft, where the Blues are poised to land father-son guns over the next two years.

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2025 RECORD: 11th | 9-14 | 96.7%
2025 PICKS: 9, 11, 43, 54, 67, 72
FUTURE PICKS: ’26 R1, SYD ’26 R1, ’26 R4 | ’27 R1, SYD ’27 R1, ’27 R3, ’27 R4
ACADEMY/FATHER-SON NOMINEES: Harry Dean (F/S), Jack Ison (NGA)

FIRST PICK:
Pick 9

There remains plenty to play out with regards to Carlton’s draft hand, and the Blues’ opening selection will almost certainly be a matched bid for father-son nominee Harry Dean. West Coast has been rumoured to consider a bid with pick two, though may also field a trade offer for Carlton’s pick nine.

Any deal between the clubs would see West Coast put up picks 13 and 34, allowing Carlton to match for Dean using pick 11, while still being able to bring in another first round talent. The most likely scenario is that Richmond is the first to call out the key defender, or Essendon at the latest in that 5-8 range.

Poised to become Carlton’s earliest father-son selection, Dean will follow in the footsteps of father Peter – a 248-game dual premiership Blue whom the club’s father-son academy is named after. He’s as pure a key defender as they come, combative and brave in the air at 194cm with sound distributive skills.

REMAINING CROP:
Picks 11, 43, 54, 67, 72

While West Coast may be a club in for pick nine, Adelaide has emerged as a suitor for pick 11. The Crows would offer up a future first round pick, which may further aid the Blues in matching a likely early bid for 2026 father-son hopeful Cody Walker. That would mean Carlton uses pick nine to match the Dean bid.

In either case, one thing for certain is the Blues will bring in another club-tied talent in Next Generation Academy member Jack Ison. The 190cm utility is a dynamic front half player whose classy kicking inside 50 is an area of need, along with his versatility and point of difference as a taller midfielder.

The Ison bid is likely to fall somewhere within the 20s, with a club like Fremantle in the market for that model of player. Depending on the residual from the earlier Dean bid or trade deals, Carlton could also look to bring in some tall forward depth within the first round – especially in light of the Curnow loss.

South Australian Aidan Schubert will likely be in demand and perhaps just out of Carlton’s range, but would be a long-term second tall option who can also chop out in the ruck. State teammate Mitchell Marsh is moreso in the right hitting zone, but perhaps falls short of the key position need the Blues have.

That brings players like Archie Ludowyke and Louis Emmett into play. The former was touted for top 15 contendership before a PCL injury ended his year, while the latter has largely cut his teeth in the ruck but could play in any key position post. Both are athletic and National Academy members with steep upside.

If not a tall forward, perhaps Carlton stocks up on transitional weapons. Harley Barker is the perfect fit as a genuine wingman in the Ollie Dempsey mould. Josh Lindsay offers a slightly different look with his elite kicking, while Lachy Dovaston would be high on many clubs’ lists as the draft’s best small forward.

Carlton has made no commitment to delisted players in terms of offering a rookie spot, but Will White and Elijah Hollands will be considered for preseason train-on opportunities after the draft.

KEY QUESTIONS:

– When will the Dean and Ison bids come?
– How active will Carlton be in live trading?
– Is key forward depth on the cards with the pending residual pick?